Improvement in safety-trucks for railroad cars



B; P. LAMASO N.

Safety Trucks` for Railroad Cars.

No. 135,716., PatentedFebmJm.

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Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,716, dated February 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN P. LAMA- soN, of Milton, Vin the county of Northumberland, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Truck for Railroad Gars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which* Figure l is a longitudinal, vertical, central, sectional elevation 5 Fig. 2, 'a plan; Fig. 3, an end elevation, and Fig. 4, a transverse sectional elevation taken at A', Fig. l.

The object of this inventionis to prevent the overturning of cars when their wheels leave the track from any cause; and to this end it consists in securing the pivot-plate, Snc., at the end of the truck on beams specially designed therefor, and also of peculiarlyconstructed pivoting devices, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my car-trucks and bodies after any of the known forms, as shown in Fig. l. I then apply to them four knees or beams, H H and H H', being of similar form and arrangement beneath the front and rear trucks, and running longitudinally with the body of the car, and extending equidistantly back and forward from the truck-bolsters U; to said bolsters they are properly secured by means of bolts and the diagonal Vbraces cl d and d' d', as shown in Fig. 2. These knees or beams are further secured by longitudinal braces m m extending down underneath the truck-bolster G, and either end secured to the under side of beams. To the outer ends of beams H and H', and on their top edges, I secure a properly-constructed pivotplate, seen atb, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. This plate b contains a circular central recess, with flanges extending upward. Y like plate, a, is secured to end-sill A, with a circular projection extending downward. When these two plates come in contact they form a substantial pivot, upon which the truck revolves to the extent desired. To the outer ends of beams the draft arrangement is attached. The beams H and H and plates a and b, being arranged as described, aretsecured to the car-body' by means of the bolt o and hanger eA-the bolt o having its head underneath the bottom pivot-plate b and passes up through top-pivot plate c and sill A, and

secured by a nut on its top end. The hanger c is secured at either end to the end-sill A. It is also further secured and kept in position by means of the iron columns h h. These columns are hollow, with bolts passing through them, and are placed on either side of the beams H H and H' H', as seen at Fig. 3, and between the hanger e and under side of end-sill A; and the whole is secured by the bolts P P, as shown in same end elevation. The columns h It preserve a correct distance between the sill er operation of the beams H H. The inner ends of the beams are securely coupled together by the connecting-rod c, as represented in Figs. l and 2. Suitable pockets are attached to the inner ends of the said beams; springs i' are placed in these pockets; and the ends of the couplingrod c pass through them, the projecting ends of said rod being provided with Va nut or key to secure it in place and also to give it a bearing against the springs r'. (See Figs. l and 2.)

This arrangement enables the trucks to conform to any curve or circle they may have to pass over, the coupling preserving a uniform and steady pull on the hind truck, whether the car be moving in a straight or curved line.

On the top of the truck-bolster C I friction-rollers u. These are designed as a bearing for the carbody, while at the same time they allow the trucks, when passing' over curves, to vibrate under the body.

At Fig. 4 is shown a transverse section cut through at A', Fig. l; the hanger f being similarly constructed and secured as the hanger e, Fig. 3. The design is to prevent the inner ends of the beams dropping down in the event of any portion of the truck giving way.

The columns k perform a similar office for hangers f that columns h do for hangers e.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The trucks pivoted at their extreme ends to the body ofthe car, as herein shown by means of the plates a b, beams H E', and bolt o, all combined and operating substantially as herein described.

BENJAMIN P. LAMASON.

place Witnesses:

C. C. McCoRMIoK,

R. M. LONGMORE.

A and hanger e, for the prop- 

